There are many different types of grips used today for a wide variety of items, including without limitation, golf clubs, tools (hammer handles, etc.), racquets (hand ball, badminton, or tennis racquets), bats (baseball or softball), pool cues, umbrellas, fishing rods, etc. Slip-on golf club grips made of a molded rubber material or synthetic plastic are well known in the golf industry. The term “slip-on” as employed herein refers to a grip that slides on to a shaft or handle and is secured by way of an adhesive or the like. Slip-on grips are available in many shapes and forms.
Golf club grips conventionally are printed with some amount of text, patterns and/or graphics. For example, many golf club grips include the name of the golf club manufacturer, and/or include a logo or symbol, and/or include one or more patterns/colors. Because of their shape, slip-on type golf club grips can be somewhat difficult to print using conventional methods. Moreover, slip-on golf club grips for putters can have substantially irregular shapes and configurations that can make printing difficult. Also, the printing on conventional golf club grips can be damaged by wear and the effects of weather.
Silicone rubber is used commercially as a substitute for natural rubber products. Silicone rubber has advantageous properties over natural rubber with respect to durability, flexibility over a wide temperature range and resistance to ozone and ultraviolet attack. Because of these superior properties, some golf club manufacturers are manufacturing golf clubs with grips formed from silicone. Unfortunately, silicone can be a somewhat difficult material upon which to print using conventional methods.
Thus, a need has arisen for improved printing methods for slip-on type golf club grips, particularly silicone grips.